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November 25th 1940 to September 8th 1943

State Side Training:

On November 25th 1940 The 141st regiment of the 36th Texas Division was mobilized in San Antonio Texas and sent to Camp Bowie at Brownwood Texas along with all other elements of the 36th division to under go training along with troop replenishment from the selective service to get them up to strength as a Division in the U.S. Army at this point the National guard troops went from weekend warriors to full time enlisted soldiers. In July 1941 the regiment went to Louisiana to take part In the famous Louisiana maneuvers then was sent back to Camp Bowie in Texas after the maneuvers had completed in Louisiana. On February 14th 1942 the regiment was moved to camp balding Florida where they had there first amphibious landing and beach assault training. Also along with learning to swim with and with our equipment and how to cross rivers and streams more efficiently. On July 6th 1942 the Regiment was sent up north to take part in the Carolina Maneuvers and were told that this would be the last dry run and after that they would be facing the enemy for real next time the regiment was moved straight form the Carolina maneuvers to Camp Edwards Massachusetts in August 1942 for last minute training and troop replacements to get the division up to strength.

North Africa:
On April 2nd 1943 the regiment sailed out of New York Harbor on the USS Brazil bound towards North Africa. While on route to North Africa the convoy had 26 U-boat encounters. On April 13th 1943 the Regiment arrived at port in Oran Algeria. While in Algeria the Regiment under went more training and marching to prepare them for the combat that awaited them ahead. In May 1943 while the rest of the regiment was doing more amphibious landing training. Some of the men and officers of the regiment where sent on temporary duty to Tunisia to fight along side another division against Rommels Afrika Corps to get some real combat experience to share with the rest of the regiment. In August 1943 the Regiment was sent to St Cloud and Arzew staging areas to get ready for the Invasion of Italy. In September the regiments where loaded on to ships at the harbor in Oran and where bound for Salerno bay. On September 8th news was announced that Italy had surrendered, and every one cheered and celebrated and had hoped that there would be no need for an Invasion or that they would land on a friendly shore, but the Officers and NCOs where quick to remind them that there where Germans in Italy as well.

September 9th 1943 to August 14th 1944

Salerno:

On September 9th 1943 the Unit took part in the Salerno landings the Invasion of Italy. They landed near the ancient Greek colony of Paestum. It was there first time in combat and the Germans threw everything they had at them to try and push them back into the sea including Mark IV panzers, but the regiment help there ground fought the panzers off with rifles and grenades. After 5 days of bloody fighting the Germans withdrew north and the beachs in Salerno bay where secure.

San Pietro:
The next task given to the until was to push the Germans out of a town called San Pietro, the unit first moved into the sector in early November. In order to take San Pietro the Division as a whole had to take Mt Sammucro that earned the nick name Million Dollar Mountain. Clear the Mignano Gap and take Mt. Lungo. The fighting was very tough and San Pietro did not get into allied hands until December 25th.

The Rapido River:

Once the Allies had hit the Gustav line with Monte Cassino in the middle the fighting came to a stand still the battle to break the Gustav line became a slug fest with the allies feeding troops to the Gustav line in hopes of breaking it, something reminiscent of the Somme in World War One. The unit was tasked with crossing the Rapido river in hopes of breaking through the Gustav line and moving up Highway 6 to Rome while the same day troops landing at Anzio would be able to push through and link up with the troops moving up from the south. On January 21st They first tried to cross the river but where repelled due to mines and heavy artillery coming from 88s and machine gun fire. In fact most of the boats where damaged before making it to the river back. The next day a second assault was tried this time elements of the 141st made it across the river but ounce it became clear that there was no way to establish a bridge head the attack was called off, and troops tried to retreat back across the river but for the most part were rounded up and taken prisoner by the Germans. The Rapido river is still a topic of debate and a sore subject with veterans of the 141st and 143rd regiments to this day after the failed Rapido crossing the unit was pulled back and put on the line in the mountains facing Monte Cassino.

Anzio and the push to Rome:

On May 22nd 1944 the Unit moved into the Anzio beach as a Reserve force to be used in an attack that would hopefully break out the beach head at Anzio. On May 30th the unit launched and assault on the town of Velletri casualties were light compared to the fighting the unit had been doing at San Peirtro and the Cassino. Then on June 1st Velletri fell and Highway 6 was open along with it the road to Rome. After Velletri fell the German units still on the Gustav line started pulling back towards Rome along with the Geramn units surrounding the Anzio beach head the Stall mate had finally been broken thanks to the 141st taking of Velletri. At this point the 141st and its allies pursued the Germans up the Italian peninsula and on June 4th reached the out skirts of Rome and the city was in allied hands on June 5th of 1944. After Rome fell the unit fought north of Rome then was pulled back for rest and replacements and to prep for the Invasion of Southern France. On August 9th the Unit set sail from Naples bound for the Riviera in Southern France.

August 15th 1944 to May 5th 1945

Operation Dragoon:
On August 15th the unit landed on the beaches in Southern France for operation Dragoon/Anvil the first Battalion was landed on a Scramble beach( a beach that is not much a of a beach surrounded by cliffs and no Armor or jeeps can land only rifle men) Resistance was fairly light compared to the fighting that had accrued in Italy so the troops were quick to label it the Champagne Campaign on D-day plus one radio contact got made by some paratroopers of the 509th who got cut off and elements of the 1st Battalion where sent to reach there paratroopers and get them much needed supplies and medical supplies.

Montelimar:
At Montelimar is where the champagne campaign ended for the 141st. It was something that according to the Official history of the 141st would take its place along with Salerno San Peitro the Rapido and Cassino. The battle for Montelimar lasted from Augest 24th to the 30th of 1944. The 141st was tasked with blocking the German escape north of Montelimar so a for a week straight the unit stood there ground against brutal attack after attack tanks getting so close that one could feel the heat off the engines. As the week wore on the attacks got more fierce as described by one veteran of the 141st it was like trying to keep a wounded wild beast trapped in a corner, but the 141st held there ground and a few months latter the papers would read the T Patch Division having smashed the nineteenth German Division at Montelimar.

The Moselle River:

On September 21st 1944 the unit reached the Moselle River which was the first supposed strong line of resistance the Germans where going to defend and the Regiment was able to cross it the very same day much to the units relief. Prior to the crossing many men could not help but think of the Rapido River the pervious year. On top of that the 141st had the honor to be the first regiment of the whole 7th army to cross the river, and with the river crossed now in front of them laid the Vosges looming in front of them.

Vosges Mountains:
Once the unit hit the Vosges Mountains fighting came to a crawl slowly working up one mountain with dense forest and German positions hidden behind every corner. To come to another that exact same way. No more dashing through France meeting joyous crowds at every town. Now just cold and gloomy weather on top of 66+ consecutive days of fighting. On October 23rd 1944 elements of the 1st battalion went to take the high ground over looking La Houssiere once the reached the summit the Germans threw a counter attack into the high ground and surrounded the men on the high ground. They where cut off with out resupply and no one could reach them this was the 141sts lost battalion. The unit was cut off from October 26th to 30th when at long last elements of the 442nd Nisei regiment were able to reach them and get them out. There were a few times the unit was pulled out for a 24-48 hour rest to get some clean clothes and some hot food, but it was

always short lived before they were to move up to the front again and press on through the Vosges until they reached the Meurthe River where on the eastern bank was a trench system with barb wire and mines. The first attempt to cross the river but the second time a soft point was found in the defenses and they where able to push through and get a foot hold on the other side and continue to peruse the retreating Germans. Then at long last on December 3rd the 141st finally made its way out of the Vosges and into the Alsace Plain.

The Colmar Pocket:

The Colmar Pocket was where the offensive started for the Battle of the bulge the Germans First attacked this region in hopes to weaken the northern sector where the main advance would come from. The Germans started there offensive on December 12th and continued the offensive until December 18th after the German offensive Watch on the Rhine was under way, at first the Germans tried to surround allied forces but thanks to the 141st the German offensive was checked and the 2nd Battalion at this point would earn its Presidential unit citation. After it was Obvious that Watch on the Rhine was not going to be a quick success the Germans refocused there attention to the southern Sector of the Allied lines, and on January 1st 1945 launched a new offensive Operation Nordwind and crushed through the American lines and forced the Allies to fall back to the foot of the Vosges Mountains to assume Defensive positions, but by January 25th the German offensive lost steam and came to a halt but the Colmar Pocket a bulge that the Germans had crated in the allied lines was still a threat. It was at this point that the 36th Division was put under French control to help close the Colmar pocket and try to trap as many Germans in the pocket as they could. On February 9th 1945 the Colmar Pocket was closed completely along with any German hopes of a victory in the west.

The Siegfried Line and into Germany:

After the Colmar Pocket was crushed and Operation Nordwind was repelled the push against the Germans was pretty easy until the unit reached the Siegfried Line. Germanys main line of defense that stretched the entire border of Germany it was a system of trenches bard wire bunkers positioned to throw a murderous crossfire and dragons teeth to slow the advance of the armor to support the infantry. The first attempt to break the Siegfried Line on March 20th was a failure but on March 23 1944 the 36th Division broke through and opened the road to Germany while in the process captured over seven hundred Germans during the action to break the Defensive line. After there action on the Siegfried Line they met resistance all along the way and the closer they got to Austria they were fighting less and less Wehrmacht troops and more and more fanatical SS troops who would rather die then surrender. Pretty soon after the unit had crossed into Austria news came down on May 5th 1945 Halt in place and Cease fire. The war in Europe was at long last over, and the news of Victory could not be more bitter sweet for the 141st Regiment who saw some of the worst fighting in the war on the western front of the European Theatre of Operations. They slugged it out with the Germans up the Italian peninsula Pushed them through France and finally chased them through Germany its self. At long last the Fighting was over for the Texans all that remained for them was Occupation were the motto was That you may taste and acknowledge the bitterness of my VICTORY.

Since September 9th 1943 the 141st spent 361 days in combat:137 in Italy, 204 days in France, 17 days in Germany and 4 days in Austria. The 141st sustained over 6000 casualties, 1126 Killed 5000 wounded and 500 missing in action.
Source of Reference used for the entire history is taken from: Five years, Five Countries, Five Campaigns with the 141st Infantry Regiment.